The Family Way
by just slummin
Summary: MalRiver.  This story takes place six months after the events of Revolution.  An unexpected threat to Serenity's family divides the crew.  NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**The Family Way**

**Part I—Night Maneuvers**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, much as I'd love to!

Rating: R

Author's Note: This story takes place six months after the events of "Revolution".

Summary: Serenity's crew spends a long night in the Black (in a calm before the storm sort of way).

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Sweat pooled in the small of Simon's back as he moved with a steady rhythm inside Kaylee. Without the worry over effective contraception, their intimacies had taken on a delicious freedom that Simon found intoxicating. And while Kaylee had always been an enthusiastic and generous lover, her desire to have a child had added an intensity that usually left them both breathless in its wake.

Kaylee contracted around him, feeling his hot seed surge into her. Saying a little prayer that this time they had begun the miracle of life they were both eager for, she smiled up at him radiantly. She was not really worried that anything was wrong, as they had only been actively trying to conceive a child for six months. Simon had explained that such a timeframe was perfectly normal considering the methods of contraception they had been using before. But she was becoming a little impatient to begin their family, and she was certain that if they did not soon have success, Simon, being the man he was, would begin to worry. And worry, she thought, would certainly not help the process along.

However, right now Simon was far from worry. Shifting his weight off Kaylee, he kissed her softly. "Love you, ai ren," he said, still a little breathless.

"Love you too, honey," Kaylee replied, snuggling up close to his side, and drifting off to sleep with visions of infants in her head.

Simon wondered, as he often did, how it had come to pass that he had found such a gift as Kaylee Tam. A sultry siren wrapped in a bundle of sheer joie de vivre, she was unlike anyone Simon had ever known. He realized that it was largely due to his wife's boundless optimism and faith in the basic goodness of the 'verse that he had achieved the measure of peace and happiness he now enjoyed. For the first time since River had been sent to the Academy, he felt that he could truly breathe freely again, that somehow all the horror they had endured had led him to this time in his life with this most precious woman, and that perhaps Kaylee's version of the 'verse might actually have a little truth to it.

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Inara lay in the darkness of Jayne's bunk, sheltered in the curve of his body. With one heavily muscled arm slung over her ribcage, Jayne slept deeply after their earlier passion. His soft snores ruffled her hair, and she wiggled slightly to change her position. At the movement, Jayne's hand automatically adjusted as well, cupping her breast in the hollow of his palm. Inara sighed, relaxing into the warm intimacy of the sensation.

There were many things she had learned to appreciate about Jayne Cobb, not the least of which were his hands. They were capable of dispensing unparalleled pleasure, but she was also well aware of what else those hands were capable of, remembering what vengeance Jayne had extracted from first Atherton Wing and later Andrew Chau in her behalf. The thought warmed her heart with gratitude, but still chilled her to the bone with its cool violence. Jayne was a study in contradictions, by turns hard and cold as granite, and then surprisingly gentle and tender in his affections. How this dichotomy could exist in the same man was a mystery to Inara, and hence added a certain spice to their relationship. She thought that perhaps the thrill she felt might be a sort of perversion, but if that was the case, she had no great inclination to be cured of it.

Inara shifted against him again, causing Jayne to open one eye and pull her closer still. "What'sa matter, baby doll?" he mumbled, his goatee tickling the shell of her ear.

Inara wondered fleetingly why the endearment did not annoy her. Had anyone ever told her that she would allow such a term to be applied to her in any context, she would have snorted with derision. But somehow, when Jayne said it, it seemed a most wonderful phrase. Pulling her thoughts back to the question, she answered, "Nothing. Just not sleepy, I guess."

"Huhm," Jayne grunted. "Woulda' thought you'd be tuckered out after what all we been up to," he said lazily, an unmistakable challenge in his voice.

Inara lifted one eyebrow. "I have a lot of stamina," she said saucily, wiggling her hips suggestively against him.

Chuckling low in his throat, Jayne replied, "Well now, that's a right interestin' statement. Care to prove it?"

Inara's answering giggle was swallowed up by Jayne's kiss.

XXXXXXXXXX

Anya lay in her new room next to Adam's in what used to be Serenity's passenger dorms. She had not liked the idea of Adam being all alone, even though Captain Mal had shown her how the baby monitor picked up even the slightest disturbance in Adam's room. So, she had asked for permission to move into the room next door, just in case.

She looked around the room, so lovingly decorated by Miss Kaylee, who seemed to love little girl things as much as Anya herself. Mama had insisted that she have a comm installed in the room, but that and a few stuffed toys from Mr. Wash's stash were really her only contributions.

Anya had to admit that she missed the comfort of sleeping with Mama just a little. Though Zoe made certain to read her a bedtime story and tuck her in every night, it was not the same as being snuggled up against her steady warmth in the middle of the night. Since Zoe had first come into her young life, Anya had found her physical presence a welcome healing for the grief of losing her birth mother. Anya still thought about her first mother often, but now the memories were not so tinged with sadness as they had been at first. Secure in Zoe's love and Captain Mal's protection, she knew she had been lucky enough to find a new family to care for her as much as she cared for them.

Tiptoeing out of her room and into Adam's, she looked at his sleeping form, filled with love for this closest thing to a brother she had. Like everything else he did, Adam slept with a certain wild abandon, one leg thrown over the edge of the bed and covers hopelessly tangled. Anya smiled, not even attempting to straighten things up. "Love you, Adam," she whispered, careful to say it quietly enough not to register on the monitor. Slipping quietly back out of his room, she climbed into her own bed and went back to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal sat on the bridge, looking out at the vastness of the Black. After the disastrous near slide into revolution, the Alliance was still uneasy about its hold on the population of the 'verse, and that complicated things for everyone flying. Mal avoided all the checkpoints he could, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to stay under the radar. Made flying a mite more interesting than he'd like, he thought grimly.

He felt rather than heard River glide softly into the room behind him. "Hey , bao bei," he said, as her hands came to rest lightly on his shoulders. "Can't sleep?"

"Missed you," she answered, coming around the chair to curl into his lap.

Mal shifted her weight more comfortably, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "Didya'now?" he said, pleasantly aroused by her proximity.

River smiled against his neck, feeling the delicious tension beginning to build in her own belly. "Haven't slept in our bunk together for…"

"Three nights. I know," Mal said huskily. "Maybehaps I should think on changing the duty roster up a mite."

"Excellent idea," River agreed, running her tongue lightly along the scar on his ear, a spot she knew drove her husband to distraction.

Mal groaned. "Now that just ain't in no way fair," he said, shifting in his seat as certain areas of his anatomy began to throb with sudden interest.

River replied, "Not interested in 'fair'," she whispered, shifting her legs to straddle his hips. "Interested in you."

Mal fairly hummed in anticipation. "You lock the door when you came in?"

"Didn't have to. Everyone's asleep or…otherwise occupied."

Mal's lips ghosted along her collarbone. "I'm thinkin' we might be here awhile, darlin'. Best we make sure."

River sighed, unwilling to move from the very enticing spot she was in. "All right," she acquiesced, deliberating brushing against Mal's groin as she got up. Bolting the door, she took her time walking back to him, the flutter of her dress against her creamy thighs making his heart beat more rapidly and his breathing begin to hitch.

River stopped just beyond his reach, an odd thought occurring to her. "Three days seems long now, but before there were months, sometimes years of….celibacy for you. Why?"

Mal sighed. "Guess I wasn't much interested in a casual roll in the hay."

River tilted her head, a memory of Mal's flashing through her mind. "Except with Becky."

Mal drew in a surprised breath. "You ain't aimin' to go through my entire romantical history right now, are ya'?" As the words left his mouth, he was struck by the thought that River had not even had a history of such a nature before being with him, and the notion made him vaguely uncomfortable.

River smiled. "No wish to see any more, ai ren. Just a passing image." She re-settled herself in his lap.

"You ever wish you hadn't gotten saddled with me permanent-like?" he asked softly. "I mean, ever wish you had your own…history to think on?"

River gazed intently at him, her huge brown eyes shining with an emotion he couldn't quite define. "Chose wisely the first time," she said, tenderly touching his furrowed brow. "Didn't have to kiss the frogs to find the prince."

A slow smile graced Mal's weary features. "Hope you'll always feel that way, darlin'," he said, leaning forward to capture her lips.

"I will," River whispered, giving herself to the exquisite pleasure of being loved by Malcolm Reynolds.

XXXXXXXXXX

Zoe awoke with a start, for a moment casting about wildly in search of Anya. Rational thought returning, she realized Anya was in her own room, probably sleeping much better than Zoe was.

When Anya had asked for her own room, the reasonable part of Zoe's brain had rejoiced, recognizing it as a sign that Anya felt secure in the environment Zoe had provided for her. Since first seeing the child being dragged down the alleyway on Greenleaf, Zoe had felt a fierce need to protect her. The desire had only intensified when she'd watched the precious child accept the news of her mother's death on the slaver ship. Zoe admired Anya's spirit, and wished with all her heart to provide a safe haven for her permanently. And the fact that the little girl felt safe enough to ask for a small measure of independence made Zoe proud.

But the other part of Zoe, the soft side that she hid so carefully, missed the closeness of the child sharing her bunk. Though no one could completely fill the part of her that had been hollowed out with Wash's death, Anya had given her renewed strength of purpose. She had awakened Zoe's infinite capacity for love and compassion, like water from heaven soaking into cracked, dry earth, leaving the ground suddenly fertile again, resurrected, verdant with life.

Zoe climbed out of her bunk, thinking a quick check on the ship and Anya would help lull her back to sleep. Silently passing by the bridge, she glanced inside just long enough to see that the Captain and River were blissfully occupied in what had once been her own favorite pastime on the bridge when Wash couldn't leave his post. She smiled, pleased Mal had finally found his own happiness with River.

Walking on, she passed Inara's shuttle door, somehow knowing Inara was not there tonight. She made her way throughout the ship, listening to the comforting sound of Serenity's engine. Finally arriving at Anya's door, she slid it carefully open and stood looking at her beautiful child.

The dim light from the hallway illuminated the blonde hair fanned out on the pillow, and the rose-tinted cheeks of the sleeping girl. Straightening up her blankets, Zoe touched her cheek gently, thinking how much she loved the feel of Anya's soft young skin against her work-calloused fingertips.

Satisfied that all was well, Zoe closed the door and headed back to her own bunk, grateful beyond measure to be part of Anya's life. She slipped back into her bed, and let sleep claim her.

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To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

**The Family Way**

**Part II—Checkpoint**

Author: just-slummin

Disclaimer: I own none of the original characters of Firefly, but I will lay claim to Adam and Anya.

Rating: PG

Summary: Mal's crew runs afoul of the checkpoint near Boros with devastating results.

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"Sir, I think we've got a problem." Zoe's voice filtered into Mal's bunk, where he'd just retreated for a shave and a change of clothes.

Wiping off the last of the lather from his face, he said, "I'm on my way."

By the time he made it to the bridge, Jayne and River were already there. A low string of Mandarin curses escaped Mal's lips as he looked out Serenity's window. "Have they hailed us yet?" he asked.

Zoe shook her head. "No, but it's a certainty they've seen us. Too late to slip away unnoticed. Still far enough away we might be able to run though," she answered, her voice calm.

"They're like dogs. We run, they chase us," Mal said, weighing his options quickly. Thinking it was a good thing they'd not yet picked up the illegal cargo they'd contracted to move, he said, "Best we just wait and see what they do."

"Problem with that is when they decide what they're gonna do, it'll be a little late to haul ass outta here," Jayne grumbled from his place by the wall.

"You got a better suggestion?" Mal asked, turning on his mercenary with annoyance.

Jayne grimaced but was wise enough by now to know when to shut up. Mal nodded, mollified. About to say something else, he was interrupted by the bland voice of an Alliance idiot, ordering Serenity to prepare for docking. He wondered briefly why all Alliance personnel sounded the same way.

"Go ahead and confirm, Zoe. Once we're there, meet us in the cargo bay."

"Yes sir," Zoe replied, moving to comply.

XXXXXXXXXX

The airlock released with a hiss and several heavily armed men fanned out into the cargo bay. Mal stood casually next to a stack of crates, Adam in his arms and the rest of the crew scattered behind them.

At the sight of the Alliance officer, Adam's arm tightened around Mal's neck. "Bad man, Daddy," he whispered, huge blue eyes filled with worry. "Very bad man."

"It's all right, little fella'," Mal whispered back. "He'll be gone soon enough. You just keep quiet now."

Adam shook his head sadly, but did not dare to disobey his father to say more. Turning his attention back to the officer, Mal asked conversationally, "What's going on here, officer?"

Sniffing in irritation, the man replied, "I am Captain Riley of the Alliance cruiser Columbus. Is this your entire crew?"

"It is," Mal answered easily.

"And where are your papers?"

The man's imperious tone set Mal's teeth on edge, but he reached into his back pocket, producing the ridiculously expensive forged registration papers for Serenity. He hoped that they were worth the price he'd paid for them.

Riley snatched the bundle out of his hand, flipping through it quickly. "And what is the nature of your business on Boros, Captain…Rogers?"

"We are a cargo vessel. As you can see, our hold is kinda' empty right now. We were hopin' to find some work on Boros." Mal smiled pleasantly.

"You'll pardon me if I doubt that, Captain," Riley said snidely. "I'll be needing to see your logs and your accounting ledger." Turning to his men, he said, "Search the ship. And pay special attention to any out of the way storage holds these old Fireflys are so well-known for."

Mal's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, annoyed by the man's arrogance. Riley noticed however, and allowed himself a small, gloating smile. "You don't have any problem with that, do you, Captain Rogers?" he asked, intentionally stepping into Mal's personal space.

Mal thought about the people who were depending on him, swallowing an angry retort. "Why would I have a problem with it?" he asked evenly.

Riley was disappointed by his composure. "There shouldn't be any reason. Send someone to get your ledgers. You stay here."

Mal nodded wordlessly at River, and she moved gracefully out of the cargo bay. Watching her progress, Riley asked, "That your wife?"

"It is," Mal said shortly, none too happy with the man's attention to River's retreating form.

Riley glanced around at the rest of the crew. "I assume that's your son you're holding." He reached out a hand to touch Adam, but the child pulled away instantly.

"Who's the little girl?" Riley asked, something flickering in Mal's eye making him turn his attention away from Adam.

Zoe stepped between Riley and Anya. "She's my daughter," she replied, her tone deceptively calm.

Riley's eyebrows rose in surprise. "This little blue-eyed blonde is your daughter?"

"Yes," Zoe said flatly.

"Um hmm," Riley said. "And is her father one of these gentlemen?" he asked, gesturing to Simon and Jayne.

"My father's dead." Anya's voice was strong and assured.

Riley turned to one of the guards standing at the airlock. "Bring me a DNA scanner. Ma shong."

Mal stepped forward. "Ain't no call for that. Anya's adopted. It's fair obvious she isn't the woman's natural-born child."

"I'll determine what there's a 'call' for, Captain Rogers. There have been a string of kidnappings in this sector. It's a part of my duty to confirm the parentage of any children I find on ships such as yours." Turning to Zoe, he added, "I'll need to see the adoption papers now."

Zoe's face betrayed nothing of her inner turmoil. "I don't have any papers," she said calmly. "They were destroyed a few months back in a small fire in my bunk."

The guard jogged up to Riley to hand him the DNA scanner. "That seems a little too convenient a coincidence, I think," he said, looking at Zoe coldly. Turning to Anya, he said, "Step out from behind her, child, and come to me." 

Anya looked first at Zoe and then Mal with large, worried blue eyes, but she stepped forward. When Riley roughly took her arm, every adult on Serenity's crew reached for their weapons. The click of multiple safeties being released all around them stayed their hands.

"Drop your weapons immediately," Riley said. "I mean no harm to the child. And if everything is as you say, we'll have no problem." The crew reluctantly complied.

Pressing the device to Anya's tender flesh, Riley took his sample and let her go back to Zoe's side. "Now, we wait, Captain Rogers. For your sake, I sincerely hope her sample does not match that of any of the missing children."

River walked slowly back into the cargo bay, reading the situation before her. Coming to stand beside Mal, she wordlessly handed the bogus accounting ledger to Riley. He took it, fixing her with an overtly suggestive leer. "Thank you, honey" he said, leafing through it casually.

After an agonizing wait, the DNA scanner beeped, the results scrolling onto the small data screen. "It would seem the child is no match for any of the children in our database. Normally, our next step would be to confirm you as her mother. As that is an impossibility without the proper papers, I am going to have to take the child into protective custody until such time as you can produce certified duplicates of the papers."

Mal rose from the crate where he'd been leaning. "Isn't there some other way? The child was adopted on Greenleaf. Getting the documentation from there might take weeks."

"That's something the lady should have thought of before she left those papers in an unsecured location," Riley said coldly. Resting his chilly gaze on Adam, he added, "I'll be needing a sample from the boy as well."

Mal's arm tightened around his child, but he whispered gently into Adam's ear. Adam extended his arm bravely. After procuring the sample, Riley handed the scanner back to the guard, and turned his attention back to Anya.

"You understand that you'll have to come with me for awhile," he said.

Anya stared at him, willing him to change his mind. "Sir," she said pleadingly, "She's my Mama. I swear it."

"Then I'm sure she'll be able to prove that and come and get you soon enough," Riley said, unmoved by her plea. Motioning the guards to take her, he turned back to the scanner.

A murderous rage swept over Zoe as Anya was pulled away from her. Lunging forward with full intent to dispose of anyone in her path, she was grabbed from behind by Jayne. Struggling in his iron grip, she hissed, "Let me go, or I swear I will end you."

Jayne's arms gave not one inch. "Look around. You want Anya to see you spattered all over the cargo bay?" he ground out.

"He's right, Zoe. Stand down. Now." Mal's voice brooked no argument. "We'll see to straightening this thing out." Turning to Riley, who was watching with amusement, he added, "Best nothin' happen to that child whilst she's with you." His tone held a menace that gave Riley a moment's pause.

"No harm will come to her. She'll be under the protection of the Alliance, after all." Before he could say more, the DNA scanner beeped. Reading the results, he said, "This child has no match in the database either. Give me your arm, Captain."

Mal set Adam on the floor and held out his arm while Riley got the sample. "Where will you take her?" he asked, barely able to keep from throttling the man himself now that both hands were free.

"She'll be taken to Boros for processing, and moved to a facility from there. You'll be made aware of her whereabouts when she's settled somewhere, so that you'll know where to present the correct paperwork."

Another soldier approached Riley. "The ship had been thoroughly searched, sir. We found no evidence of contraband."

"Very well," Riley said. "Pack your men up and move them back to our ship." As he was speaking, the DNA scanner beeped again, this time with the sound of an alarm. Glancing down at the display, Riley smiled with malevolent delight. "Well, well," he said, turning to look at Mal. "It seems that you were telling the truth. The boy is your son."

Mal nodded. "Of course he is."

Motioning the guards to flank Mal on either side, Riley said, "However, it would seem you weren't exactly truthful about everything else. Of course, I can see why you wouldn't be, Captain…Reynolds, is it?"

Before Mal could react, his hands were pulled roughly behind his back and cuffed tightly, as were those of the rest of the crew.

"Mr. Reynolds, you will be remanded to custody at the Fed station on Boros to await transfer to a maximum security prison. It would seem your little escape from detention on Salisbury was for nothing after all. You will now have the opportunity to serve out the remainder of your sentence." Riley smiled as he pried Adam's arms from around Mal's leg.

"Get your hands off my son," Mal spat out, struggling against the men who held him.

Ignoring him completely, Riley handed the squirming child to another of the guards. "Take the children back to the ship. Put them in Conference Room One until I get there." Turning back to the crew, he said, "As for the rest of you, you will be accompanying your Captain to Boros to face charges of harboring a known fugitive and aiding and abetting a convicted terrorist."

As the adults of Serenity were pushed toward the Alliance ship, Anya reached out to touch the crying Adam. "It's okay, Adam. They'll come back for us, sure as spittin'. And I'll be with you to look after you 'til they do."

Adam looked at her with wide, sad eyes and grabbed her hand like a lifeline, but made no answer.

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To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

**The Family Way**

**Part III--In Custody**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.

Rating: PG

Summary: Mal gets help from an unexpected source, and Anya and Adam have a talk.

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Mal looked at his crew, each one shackled at hands and feet and sitting in the holding cell of the Alliance cruiser Columbus. He raised his own cuffed hands to allow River to slide into the circle of his arms. Her body shook with silent tremors, and Mal's heart contracted painfully as he felt the violence of them against his own body. Trying to shield her from the chaos of his thoughts, he murmured against her hair, "It's going to be all right, bao bei. We'll get him back."

"I didn't see it," she cried softly, her words muffled against his chest. "I didn't know what was going to happen until it was too late."

Suddenly, Mal remembered that Adam had said Riley was a bad man almost immediately. Trying to keep the memory from River, he filed it away for future thought. Murmuring meaningless reassurances into her ear, Mal studied the rest of his crew.

Zoe sat, dry-eyed and ramrod straight, staring out past the bars as if she could summon Anya to appear if she concentrated hard enough. Since Jayne had been forced to let her go and they'd both been cuffed, she had uttered not a single sound, her heart turned to lead inside her chest.

Even Kaylee said nothing, crying softly on Simon's shoulder, worried horribly for the children, and the Captain, and Simon and River, who would surely be at terrifying risk in Alliance custody. She tried not to think about how the Captain had looked when they'd rescued him from the Salisbury prison, knowing that what awaited him now might be even worse. She tried equally as hard not to imagine how Simon might fare amongst hardened criminals in a penal colony. As for River, Kaylee could scarcely imagine the pain of losing her second child or the overwhelming fear of falling back into the hands of those who had hurt her so terribly before.

Jayne and Inara sat next to each other, knees touching just barely. Neither spoke, though both thought of things they might have said had they known a day such as this was imminent.

Simon absently muttered assurances to Kaylee, numb with the shock of what had transpired on the ship. Imagining the danger to River in an Alliance facility, or the horrors that Kaylee might face if she were sentenced to imprisonment caused his traumatized thought processes to simply shut down. His love and concern for his nephew, a likely candidate for Academy experimentation, served to effectively numb his last emotional response.

"Let her go," a guard said roughly, banging on the bars with his baton. "I said let her go. No hands-on between prisoners."

Mal looked at him, nostrils flaring in murderous fury. "Don't, ai ren," River whispered, slipping out of his encircling arms. "He's looking for an excuse to hurt you."

It took every ounce of control Mal had to remain seated, as the guard grinned at his predicament. Their staring contest ended as Mal felt the cruiser land on Boros. Praying to the God he'd just recently come back to speaking terms with, he asked silently for a reasonable official somewhere in the Fed station on Boros. Before he could complete the prayer, he was unceremoniously yanked to his feet and pulled from the cell. River followed, only to be pushed back by the guards. Mentally sending her all the love he could, Mal looked back over his shoulder to see her tear-stained face pressed disconsolately against the bars.

XXXXXXXXXX

Adam curled into Anya's lap, scared into sucking his thumb, a habit he'd almost completely broken until now. "I'm hungry," he whispered.

"I know, sweetie," Anya said. "I missed breakfast too. I'm sure someone will come soon to help us."

Adam shook his head sadly. 'Daddy can't come," he said, his lower lip trembling. "The bad man will take Daddy away." One tear rolled down his chubby cheek. "And Miss Zoe too."

Anya's heart beat rapidly in her little chest. "You don't know that for sure, Adam Reynolds," she said, as much to convince herself as him.

"Yes I do," Adam said, suddenly looking much older than his eighteen months. "Saw it."

Anya squeezed her eyes shut, hoping the little boy was wrong. "Just 'cause you saw it don't mean that's the way it's gotta happen," she said softly. "Captain Mal and Mama been in worse scrapes before, and they always make it out okay."

Adam pondered the possibilities for a long moment. "But I'm still hungry," he said, rubbing his eyes with fatigue.

Relieved he made no further predictions, Anya sighed. "Me too."

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal sat chained to a chair in a standard interrogation room. More tired than he could say to find himself about to be on the ass-end of another gorram interrogation, he surreptitiously flexed his muscles, wondering at what point the first bone-jarring blow would fall. It was a real puzzle to him sometimes how a once peaceful rancher from Shadow should end up faced with these situations so gorram often. His mind whirred with worry for his helpless son, his emotionally vulnerable wife, and his unlucky crew.

Thus occupied in an endless loop of tension, he was not aware that the door opened beside him until he heard it shut again with a metallic click. He turned to see a man of about his own age, dressed in the conservative style of business suit he associated with Alliance lackeys. The man took a seat across from him, and, laying a data pad on the table between them, met Mal's eyes, smiling pleasantly. "Good afternoon, Captain Reynolds. My name is Thomas Bridgman, but my friends call me Tom."

"Well, Mr. Bridgman," Mal said dryly, emphasizing the name choice, "I'd shake your hand but mine seems to be shackled to the chair at the moment."

Bridgman rubbed his chin absentmindedly, looking down at the data pad. "Yes, we're gonna have to see about fixing that."

"Shen me?" Mal asked, wondering if he'd heard the man correctly.

Bridgman looked at him with the slightest trace of amusement in his green eyes. "I'm an advocate, Captain Reynolds. Hired to see if we can untangle the mess you've stumbled into."

"Court appointed?" Mal asked, letting his tone indicate exactly how useless he thought an advocate appointed by the government to be.

"Actually, no."

Mal frowned. "Well in that case, best you know right now I ain't got the means to pay you, if it's coin you're after."

"Don't worry, Captain," Bridgman said kindly. "The fee is being taken care of by a third party."

"Who?" Mal asked uneasily.

"His name is Peter, and he said to tell you that he and his new wife are doing well, thanks to you, and that this is his way of showing his appreciation for your help."

Mal smiled briefly, remembering the conversation he'd had with River's former Academy classmate about the special girl he needed to see again. "How'd you get here so fast?" he asked. "I don't see how Peter could have known so quickly I was in need of an advocate."

"Apparently you made quite an impression on the young man. I'm unsure as to how he knew you'd been taken into custody, unless there was some kind of flag in your file to alert him."

"Oh, I've no doubt there's all manner of flags in my file," Mal said. "Tell him I take it as a real kindness, what he's offerin', but I conjure it's a mite late for getting me clear of all this. Hard to disprove a prison escape when you're out and about flyin' bold as brass," he added wryly.

"Well," Bridgman admitted, "it could be that we'll have to work at that from a different angle. In the meantime, is there anything I can get for you?"

Mal leaned forward, fixing him with an intense stare. "You can see to getting my wife clear of this and helpin' her get our boy back. You got a way to do that?"

Bridgman returned the stare just as intently. "I'll make it a priority, Captain. Anything else?"

Mal looked down at the floor for a moment. "Know anyone who might consider doin' the same for the rest of my people?"

Bridgman felt the man's worry like a physical blow. "I'll work on that as well."

Mal looked up gratefully, for some reason trusting this man to keep his word. "You manage those things, and I'll be obliged to you."

Bridgman nodded, and picked up the data pad. "Well then, let's get started. Maybe it would be best to explain to me exactly how this whole thing began."

XXXXXXXXXX

River sat alone in a holding cell, separated from the rest of the crew by a transparent partition. The commander of the Boros Fed station had moved each of the others into individual cells in what River could only assume was an attempt to further demoralize them. Though she could still see her shipmates, she could not touch or communicate with them. Thus closed off from physical proximity to their worries and fears, she could focus more completely on her search for Adam.

Concentrating on the task, she found the familiar pattern of his thoughts and knew he was close by. Since Adam was only eighteen months old, there was little order to his mind and River sifted through the chaos, grateful beyond words that she could feel him so strongly. She felt the sharp pang of hunger, and knew it was not her own. Someone had neglected to feed him, she thought worriedly. She sensed the strength he drew from Anya, and rejoiced that at least the precious little girl was providing him with sorely needed comfort. Pushing further, Rive closed her eyes in an effort to se what he saw in the room around him. After several minutes of trying, she realized that he wasn't seeing anything at all. He was asleep. Making a mental note to try again later, she withdrew gently from his jumbled thoughts, reassured that at least her baby was alive and not in any imminent danger. "Mama's here," she whispered, leaving the barest imprint of her presence behind in his mind.

XXXXXXXXXX

Anya stroked Adam's soft hair as he slept peacefully in her lap. She was trying hard not to think about the possibility that Adam had seen the truth of things before. Surely Mama and Captain Mal would find some way to come back to them, she thought for the thousandth time. But Anya had known loss before, and a little nagging voice in the back of her head kept reminding her that sometimes family did leave and never come back. Sometimes the 'verse snatched up people you love and never returned them to you.

She felt the sting of tears behind her eyes and blinked them away angrily. She knew, in an instinctive way, that Adam could read her feelings, and she did not want to alarm him. So, carrying the weight of the 'verse on her slender shoulders, she pushed away her dismal thoughts and repeated like a mantra her faith in Zoe and Captain Mal until she, too, fell into a light sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	4. Chapter 4

**The Family Way**

**Part IV—Transfer**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.

Rating: PG

Summary: Adam and Anya get transferred, and Bridgman offers River a deal of sorts.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tom Bridgman pushed back from the table, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I can't build a case on just the parts of the story you've told me, Captain Reynolds. There are too many glaring holes. There's not a judge on Boros who wouldn't throw this out if I present it as you say it happened."

Mal sighed, wishing his hands were free to rub the grit from his own eyes. "Has it occurred to you that I may not be able to tell you, a man I met just today in a gorram Alliance interrogation room, everything that happened? Things that might endanger other people I care about? Hell, for that matter, things that might get you killed your own self?"

Bridgman sighed heavily. "All right, Captain Reynolds. All right. I'll be back tomorrow and we'll start again with another possibility for a defense strategy. In the meantime, try to get some rest. We might be at it for awhile."

"Not to tell you how to do your job or nothing, but if you spend all this time on my case, how will you have time for the others? I can wait. I ain't sure my wife and son can, nor the rest of my people. Dong ma?"

"Well, the theory is that if we can get your sentence reversed, they could hardly be held for aiding and abetting a man who's been exonerated." Seeing Mal's dark expression, he said, "Okay. I'll do some work tomorrow on your wife's case before I come back here. Is that acceptable?"

"More than," Mal replied, offering him a genuine smile. "You got kids, Tom?"

Bridgman smiled at the intentional use of his shortened name. "Have two. Boy and a girl," he replied.

"If you were on this side of the table, what would you be wantin' to happen first? Your release or their safety?"

"Point taken, Captain Reynolds." Tom reached out to touch Mal's arm reassuringly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I suspect I'll be right here," Mal said wryly.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, what's the story with these two?" Ramona Chavis asked, peering into the room where Anya and Adam sat huddled together. As the liaison officer between the Fed station and the Alliance Child Protection Agency, she was accustomed to being called out in the middle of the night to transfer children to the Boros Home for At-Risk Minors, but that did not mean she wasn't vaguely annoyed by it. Why these urchins could not wait until a reasonable hour was beyond her.

"Children of terrorists, according to the paperwork," the disinterested desk clerk said. "Just your basic space trash."

Ramona nodded. "Brother and sister?"

"Nope. DNA samples didn't match," he answered, flipping through the papers desultorily.

"No matter," she replied. "Most placements won't take both genders anyway. It's a good bet they'll be split up soon enough. Anywhere else I need to sign?"

The desk clerk slid the final transfer paper across the desk for her signature. Chavis signed quickly and gathered up the file. Stepping into the room where the children were, she was confronted with two wide-eyed stares. "Come along, children," she said briskly, not bothering to identify herself. "It's time to go."

"Go where?" Anya asked as pleasantly as she could. "Back to Serenity?"

Eyeing her impatiently, Chavis replied, "I'm not familiar with 'Serenity'."

"It's our ship, our home," Anya said eagerly. "Where our family is. If you could just take us there…"

"You'll not be going back to any ship. It's out of the question. Best you understand right now that you'll be placed in a new home. Now, come along."

"But why?" Anya asked in genuine puzzlement.

"Why what?" Chavis snapped, irritated to be having this conversation in the middle of the night with a child.

"Why not just let us go home?" Anya asked.

"Because the Alliance is concerned with your safety," Chavis huffed.

"We're perfectly safe on Serenity," Anya pointed out. "Mama and Captain Mal keep us safe. And if they need help to do it, there's always Mr. Jayne and Miss River. And Dr. Simon keeps us healthy, and…"

"Enough," Chavis said, grabbing Anya by the arm. "You're coming with me. Period. End of discussion."

As she dragged Anya forward, Adam launched an attack on her leg, as it was the only thing he could reach. "You let my mei mei go," he yelled, in his best imitation of his Daddy's angriest bellow, the one that made all the adults on Serenity move faster.

"Let go of me, you little…" Chavis' words were cut short as Adam sank his teeth firmly into her calf while Anya twisted out of her grasp. As Chavis' hand rose to strike Adam, Anya screamed, causing her to freeze and the desk clerk to rush into the room to see the cause of the commotion.

Just the kind of inappropriate behavior one would expect of the children of low-life criminals, Chavis thought, practically hissing with irritation. Turning to the amused desk clerk, she said, "Are you just going to stand there smirking like an idiot, or are you going to help me get these little monsters to the transport?" Leg throbbing with the pain of Adam's bite, she stomped out of the room, not bothering to look behind her to see the clerk herd the children along behind her.

In her cell, River rocked back and forth, keening as she felt her son's anger and fear, and finally felt him being moved farther away from her protective arms.

XXXXXXXXXX

Huddled together in the back of the hovercraft, Anya whispered to Adam, "You shouldn't'a bit her. It just made her angry."

"Was angry anyhow," Adam said defiantly. "Hates us."

Anya reached up to smooth the cowlick at the crown of his head. "Why would she hate us? She doesn't even know us," she said reasonably.

"Dunno," Adam said. But she does." He laid his head on Anya's shoulder. "Miss my Mama."

"Yeah, me too," Anya whispered, blinking back tears. "I miss them all."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Mrs. Reynolds, I've been working on securing your release and the release of the rest of the crew," Tom Bridgman explained, alarmed by his client's pallor in the early morning light. "I believe I've almost convinced the judge to set aside the charges against you, considering that there are serious problems with the way your husband was imprisoned on Salisbury. But he is understandably disinclined to drop the matter completely. He indicated a willingness to allow you to return to your ship, however."

River looked at him dully, her mind numb with grief.

Bridgman went on, unnerved by her lack of response. "Do you understand, Mrs. Reynolds?"

River blinked slowly, the effort of concentrating almost beyond her. "I don't think so," she answered softly.

"Well, it would be sort of like house arrest, if you will," Bridgman explained. "You and your crew would be allowed to remain on Serenity, though the ship would of course be landlocked. Then, once Captain Reynolds' case is decided, if he should be exonerated, you would all be free to go."

"And if he's not exonerated?" River asked.

Bridgman swallowed nervously. "Then you would all be tried for conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism and aiding and abetting a fugitive." He exhaled slowly, studying the sweep of emotions across her face.

"Would we be able to get the children back?" she asked, the raw grief in her voice making Bridgman's chest ache.

"Well, that's the other problem," he said. "The judge would permit you to have Adam back, until such time as your case is decided, but he wouldn't budge on his opinion about Anya."

"Why?" River asked tiredly.

"Captain Riley checked out the story Mrs. Washburne and Captain Reynolds told about the adoption on Greenleaf." Bridgman paused, trying to say the next part delicately. "There's no record of such an adoption. As that is the case, Mrs. Washburne is being formally charged with kidnapping. So, obviously, she won't be allowed to return to your ship. And Anya has been put under the jurisdiction of the court. I'm sorry, Mrs. Reynolds. I can only handle so many issues at a time, and Captain Reynolds was quite insistent that I get you and your son out of this facility as soon as possible. And this was the best offer made."

River nodded. "I understand, Mr. Bridgman. And I accept the terms of the court, so long as I can have my son back and you continue to work to release my husband and Zoe."

Relieved beyond measure by her acquiescence, Bridgman shook her hand. "I'll do my very best, Mrs. Reynolds."

XXXXXXXXXX

Anya and Adam sat at the long table in the dining hall of the Boros Home for At-Risk Minors, hungrily devouring the oatmeal-flavored protein mush in front of them. Having been offered nothing to eat in the preceding twenty-four hours, they were more than happy to have the meal.

Looking around the room at the dozens of other children eating their breakfasts, Adam whispered, "Is this where we have to stay, Anya?"

"I guess so," Anya whispered in reply. "Least 'til Mama and Captain Mal come."

"It's loud and it smells bad," Adam said, wrinkling his nose.

Trying to cheer him up, Anya said, "Doesn't smell any worse than Mr. Jayne's stew."

Adam giggled. "Yeah, you're right," he replied, a smile lighting his face and easing the knot in Anya's throat.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Before I'm transferred to Serenity, may I be allowed to see my husband?" River asked anxiously.

"Of course," Bridgman said. "I can arrange for that now. Just give me a moment."

River sat on the bench awaiting his return. In a few short minutes, Bridgman walked back into the room with one of the guards. "You can come with me to see him now. I'm sorry you'll have to remain cuffed for your visit, but at least you'll be in the same room."

River nodded her understanding, and the trio made their way through the corridors of the Fed station, slowed considerably by the shackles around her ankles.

Sliding Mal's cell door open, the guard motioned her inside. "Five minutes," he said, sliding the door shut behind her.

Mal shuffled forward to meet her before being pulled up short by the chain attached to the wall and his ankles. "They're terrified I'll escape from their cunning little cell," he said wryly, as she shuffled forward, closing the distance between them.

Entwining her fingers with his, River stood on the tips of her toes to kiss him. "They're letting me go back to Serenity," she said past the lump in her throat. "And bringing Adam back to me."

"I know," Mal said, nuzzling his nose into her hair. "Bridgman told me."

"Don't want to leave you here, ai ren," she said, her heart aching at the thought.

"I'll be fine, bao bei," Mal said firmly. "You just look after Adam and I'll be just fine."

Aching to hold her in his arms, Mal had to settle for standing pressed close to her body instead. Each drawing comfort from the contact, they stood quietly, soaking in the love between them like water in an exhausted desert. All too quickly, the door slid open and the guard re-appeared. "Time's up, Reynolds. Say good-bye to your wife."

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	5. Chapter 5

**The Family Way**

**Part V—House Arrest**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.

Rating: PG

Summary: Adam is reunited with River, and Inara comes up with an idea.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal followed River with his eyes until she disappeared from view. Relieved beyond measure that she would soon be back on Serenity with Adam, even if she was to be confined there, he silently thanked God, Peter, and Tom Bridgman for making at least that much possible. But still, he was very worried about Zoe and Anya as his mind ran through and discarded possibilities for securing their release and reunion as well. He was strangely unconcerned about the prospect of his own imprisonment, perhaps because he had been waiting since Salisbury for the proverbial other shoe to drop.

Sighing, he lay down on the thin cot, trying to find any comfortable position his chains would allow. Thinking with a sort of twisted amusement that his jailers must think him an extraordinary escape artist to keep him chained and behind a double-locked door, he wondered if Adam had been reunited with his mother yet. Closing his eyes to imagine the scene, he gave in to his exhaustion and fell asleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

River, Simon, Kaylee, Jayne, and Inara sat in Serenity's galley awaiting Adam's arrival and discussing the dilemmas facing Mal and Zoe. Jayne picked idly at the electronic band attached to his ankle and received a nasty electric jolt when he tampered too much.

Trying to regain his breath, he batted Simon's attempts at examination away. "I'm okay, doc. Just a bitty bite to it is all."

"That didn't look like a 'bitty bite'," Simon answered. "Anything stronger, and you could have been in cardiac arrest."

Inara's heart was not fairing so well either. Seeing Jayne convulse in pain, if only momentarily, gave her a terrible feeling of dread. "Don't fiddle with it," she said, more sharply than she'd intended. "They were very clear about that in their instructions."

"Well, a man needs to test his limits," Jayne answered gruffly, trying to hide his embarrassment. He really hadn't meant to set the gorram thing off.

"Yes, well I'm sure you've just discovered at least one of them," Simon answered dryly, his own band making the skin on his ankle itch perversely.

"Well, least we're home," Kaylee said, trying as always to put a positive spin on things. "And Adam will be back in a bit, and…"

River jumped up from the table, startling the others with her speed. "Here now," she said, running full tilt toward the cargo bay. The others followed, arriving just as River swung the door open.

"Mama!" Adam cried, tearing away from the Alliance soldier who held him and running as fast as his little legs could carry him into River's outstretched arms.

Swinging him around in a dizzying spin, River felt as if she had suddenly been resurrected. Laughing and crying, she pressed kisses to Adam's sweet-smelling skin, holding him so tightly he began to squirm. When finally she released him, he looked up at her, conflicting emotions swirling inside his head. His overwhelming relief at being in his mother's arms was tempered by his worry for Anya. "They wouldn't let Anya come back with me, Mama. They made her stay." His eyes filled with tears. "She's all by herself now."

River hugged him tightly. "She's not alone, baby mine. You and I can be with her up here." She tapped his forehead lightly. "And as soon as we can, we'll bring her home."

"Promise?" Adam asked in a small voice.

"Promise," River answered solemnly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Zoe sat in the solitude of her cell, doing everything within her power to avoid thinking at all, and failing spectacularly. Somehow when she had seen the Alliance cruiser through Serenity's window, of all the things she had thought might happen, being held in custody on the charge of kidnapping had not been one of them. They had passed through countless checkpoints since Miranda with limited problems, and she realized with cold fury that her current situation was a direct result of Captain Riley's preternatural zeal for causing grief to random travelers.

Desperate to avoid thinking of how frightened Anya must be among unfeeling strangers, she occupied her mind instead by picturing all the punishment she wanted to rain down on Riley's head should she ever have the opportunity. At the moment, she could hardly think of a more worthy recipient of her special brand of justice. As these thoughts burned in her mind, her cell door opened and Tom Bridgman stepped into the room. Years of training allowed Zoe to catalog almost everything about him instantly. The most obvious thing, besides his compassion, was his apparent fatigue. He looked about two seconds shy of keeling over, she thought as he sat down beside her on her narrow cot.

"What's the news?" she asked, her own voice startling her after such a long time of silence.

"Well, Mrs. Washburne…"

"Call me Zoe," she interrupted, not wanting the reminder of Wash just now.

"All right, Zoe," Bridgman answered. "Anya's been transferred to a group home here on Boros. According to report, she's okay for now. Little Adam was with her until about an hour ago, when he was delivered back to Mrs. Reynolds on Serenity."

"He okay?" Zoe asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Seemed fine," Bridgman said. "As are the rest of your crewmates."

"And the Captain?"

"He's well, all things considered."

"That's good then," Zoe said simply.

"Yes, that was the good news," Bridgman said.

Zoe's expression went carefully blank. "And the bad news?"

Bridgman sighed. "The bad news is that I have looked at every angle I can think of to help in your defense, and I'm coming up empty."

"You know I did not kidnap that child," Zoe said flatly.

"Yes, I do. And I believe your story about how she came to be on Serenity. Captain Reynolds has confirmed what you told me. And of course, there is the corroborating evidence from Greenleaf authorities that Serenity delivered several women and children who'd been taken by slavers back to that planet for assistance."

"Then what's the trouble?" Zoe asked.

"The trouble is that there's no trace of Anya in their records. And regardless of your obvious concern for the child, there is no record you even tried to initiate adoption procedures in accordance with the law."

"What was I supposed to do?" Zoe asked. "Leave her in the hands of some Alliance orphanage whilst I tried to prove to some hundan with a little authority what a gorram great mother I would be? I've seen up close and personal-like what the Alliance can do to an innocent child, and I was not gonna let anything else bad happen to her."

Bridgman sat quietly for a moment, stunned at Zoe's speech. It was the most he'd heard her say since he'd first met her. "I'm thoroughly convinced you did what was best for her," he said soothingly. "But unfortunately, according to the law, that doesn't really matter."

"So I've got no defense?" Zoe asked bleakly.

"Not yet," Bridgman answered. "But I'll keep working on it."

Zoe nodded. "Best get some sleep first. You look like go se."

"Thanks," he said, with a wry smile. "See you tomorrow then."

"And the day after that too, less I miss my guess," Zoe answered.

XXXXXXXXXX

Inara sat in her shuttle, meditating to try to cleanse herself of all the ugliness she'd encountered in the past few days. But meditation was not helping much, and she was becoming more frustrated by the moment. Normally, she would slip into Jayne's bunk for some welcome distraction, but right now she felt the need for solitude. There must be some way to help Zoe and get Anya back, she thought for the thousandth time.

And then, a possibility occurred to her. Though it was admittedly a long shot, living on Mal's boat had convinced Inara that occasionally bold proactive plans actually did work. Of course, for this particular plan to work, she would have to ask a monumental favor from a person whose respect was very important to her. However, weighing her pride against the possibility of arranging Anya's return and Zoe's release, there was really no question of what she was willing to do. Activating her cortex screen, she made a wave to Greenleaf.

XXXXXXXXXX

River lay on Adam's bed, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. Smoothing down the perpetual cowlick on the crown of his head, she let her fingers stay there for a precious moment, drinking in the feel of him. DNA tests notwithstanding, she thought, there was no denying that he was Malcolm Reynolds' son. Her mind flashed to the image of him biting the leg of Anya's tormentor, and she could see the dead-set determination in the face of overwhelming odds that was so much a part of her husband's personality.

And she saw, too, the things she had given him. The extreme empathy he felt for Anya, the ability to intuit with amazing accuracy, and the fierce urge to be connected with his loved ones all came from her. Pondering it however, she wondered if those things would prove to be blessings or curses to her child. Her mind heavy with such thoughts and her heart pining for the steadying warmth of her husband, she fell asleep, fingers still entwined in her son's soft hair.

XXXXXXXXXX

Lying on the narrow cot in the dormitory of the Boros House for At-Risk Minors, Anya pulled her thin blanket up to her chin and clutched her pillow tightly. While she was relieved that Adam had made it back to his Mama, she was frightened to be all alone in this horrible place. She squeezed her eyes shut and thought about good things, like the way Mama read two stories to her on some nights, or the way Captain Mal let her sit in his lap on the bridge of Serenity. She thought about Miss Kaylee holding her up over Serenity's beating heart, letting her listen to the thrum of the engine up close, and Dr. Simon slipping her lollipops behind Mama's back. And there was Mr. Jayne, who threw her high into the air and always caught her at just the last minute, and Miss Inara, who let her play with her pretties sometimes in the afternoon. And she thought of Miss River, who ran and played and tumbled around with her and Adam like a child herself. Thus armed with the love and strength her family had given her, she felt her fears begin to dissipate just enough to allow her to relax into a light sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I wouldn't ask it, but the welfare of the child and the freedom of her mother are both at stake," Inara said, using her most persuasive tone.

The counselor looked at her steadily through the cortex screen. "Inara, what you're asking is both illegal and unethical," she said. "Falsifying government records is a felony. I could lose my license if I were discovered."

"I realize that," Inara replied earnestly. "But I have nowhere else to turn. I'd be willing to pay any amount you ask."

The counselor frowned, stung by the offer. 'Were I to agree to help you, I would of course be doing it for the child, not for any monetary gain."

Inara regretted her mistake immediately, wondering why she would even have thought the woman would accept a bribe. "I'm very sorry. I meant no offense. I can only say that I am desperate to find a way to help them, and desperation makes people foolhardy. Is there anything I can say that would convince you to do this?"

Studying her former patient carefully, the counselor sighed. "Tell me more about Anya."

XXXXXXXXXX

The desk clerk at the Fed station on Boros rummaged through his desk in search of the bar of chocolate he'd lifted from Ramon Chavis' jacket when the little boy had been attached to her leg by the teeth. Still chuckling at the image, he thought that one day he should write a book about the hilarious things he saw on his job. Finally finding the half-eaten bar, he looked around furtively. He didn't want to have to share with any of the hundans he worked with. This baby was gonna be all his.

Taking the first sinful bite into his mouth, he closed his eyes, rolling the decadent taste around his tongue. He thought that chocolate might be the best food ever made, and was partially convinced that the pleasure he got from it was better than any he'd ever gotten from bedding a woman. Of course, women were generally tiresome creatures, he thought, always wanting more and better, faster and harder, selfish in their appetites. Though he had to admit that the Companion who'd been in custody was maybe the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. Those other women from the terrorist ship weren't nothing to sneeze at either, he mused, biting off another piece of the chocolate.

Just as he was sinking into a delicious fantasy about what he would like to do with all those women, chained up in one of the holding cells, all helpless and desperate, he was interrupted by the beep of a priority wave from Greenleaf tagged for the commander's eyes only. Figuring he'd finish his purloined candy in peace, he re-routed the wave to another department. By the time it got back to his desk for proper routing, he'd be well finished with his little snack, he thought with self-satisfaction. Probably wasn't anything important anyway.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	6. Chapter 6

**The Family Way**

**Part VI—Coming Together**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.

Summary: Kaylee has a health scare, and Inara's plan bears fruit.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kaylee carefully scratched at the band around her ankle, thinking ruefully that her mama would be mortified to know she had a daughter who was one decision away from being a convicted felon. She'd been thinking a lot lately about her mama, and her daddy too for that matter. She thought about her large, boisterous family on Harvest, and how much she loved them. But though they were a defining part of who she was, the family she'd made on Serenity was shaping her as well. And when her Serenity family was in trouble, Kaylee was hard pressed to maintain her cheery disposition.

Her mood wasn't helped any by the sudden wave of nausea that overtook her. Running to the disposal bin in the corner of the engine room, she lost the meager breakfast she'd eaten earlier. Leaning her clammy forehead against Serenity's cool wall, she wiped her mouth with shaky fingers. She slide down the wall slowly, thinking that perhaps if she just sat still for a few minutes, the sickening feeling would pass. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply.

"Kaylee?" She heard Simon's voice coming from somewhere in the corridor. "Kaylee, ai ren, where are you?"

She thought she might open her mouth to answer, but it abruptly seemed like too much of an effort. She opened one eye just before the world tilted crazily and went black.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Counselor, I'm not sure what happened to your earlier wave. I'm sorry that you've had such difficulty in reaching me. What is it I can do for you?" the commander of the Fed station asked.

The counselor took a deep breath, realizing that this was the last opportunity to stop herself from committing a major crime. Forging ahead, she answered, "I believe I might be of help to you concerning an inquiry that came from a certain…" She paused, making a show of consulting her notes. "Ah yes, a certain Captain Riley."

The commander nodded in acknowledgment. "Captain Riley commands the Alliance cruiser Columbus, stationed currently as a checkpoint for entry to Boros. He is not directly under my supervision, but we work closely together to secure the peace here."

"I understand, Commander," the counselor said. "It has come to my attention that he was inquiring about the women and children who were brought here for processing after they had been abducted by slavers."

"That's correct," the commander replied. "He was trying to track down a discrepancy in the story of one of our detainees, a woman by the name of Zoe Washburne."

"Tall, striking-looking woman?" the counselor asked. "Looks like she's always standing at attention?"

"That's the one," the commander confirmed. "She claimed she'd adopted one of the children from that incident, but when Riley checked, there was no such adoption documented."

The counselor grimaced widely for the commander's benefit. "I apologize for the mix-up, Commander, but the information Captain Riley received from our offices is incorrect. You have to understand that we were basically inundated at that time with a prodigious amount of paperwork. As you can imagine, processing that many people at one time was something we just weren't used to having to handle. I'm afraid some of our recordkeeping was less than thorough."

"I understand," the commander said dryly. "Have the same problem in my own office."

The counselor nodded, the perfect picture of a harried bureaucrat. "When I heard about Captain Riley's inquiry, it rang a bell with me, so I did some digging, and I think I've found what you're looking for. According to the records I've unearthed, Zoe Washburne did indeed adopt a young girl named Anya from the group of victims. She is, in fact, Anaya's legal guardian."

"You're positive of this?" the commander asked.

The counselor held up a stack of papers. "I have the documentation to prove it," she said confidently.

"Can you send it to me at once?" the commander asked. "It would surely help me clear up at least part of this tangled mess."

"Of course," the counselor replied. "Anything I can do to help." She entered the altered documents with a shaky hand, consoling herself with the thought that while she was technically breaking the law, she was doing a greater good in saving a small child.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kaylee awoke in the infirmary, Simon's worried face swimming into her field of vision. "What happened?' she asked groggily.

"I'm not sure, ai ren," Simon said, quickly rechecking her vital signs. "You were just slumped over in the engine room, unconscious. And it looked like you had been vomiting."

Kaylee nodded, still tasting the acidity of it in her mouth. "Yeah, I was. Don't know why, but I was just suddenly all sick and dizzy-headed," she mumbled.

"How do you feel now?" Simon asked.

Kaylee propped herself up on her elbows. "Okay, I guess. Still a mite queasy though."

"Lie back down for me then," Simon said, gently pushing her backward. "I think we need to run a few tests."

"All right," Kaylee said, sinking gratefully back against the pillow.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tom Bridgman practically bounced into Zoe's cell, obviously brimming with good news. Zoe raised one eyebrow, a little surprised at the vast difference in his demeanor compared to last night's dismal outlook. "I take it there's been a development?" she observed calmly.

"Why didn't you just tell me you really had gone through the adoption process?" he asked.

Zoe blinked slowly, wondering how he'd come to such an erroneous conclusion.

Bridgman rolled his eyes. "I just don't understand you nor Captain Reynolds. You both seem to have a tendency to choose the hardest possible path to take to achieve the desired outcome."

"I suspect that's a pure truth," Zoe said blandly.

'Well regardless of that," Bridgman said, waving off further discussion of their perverse natures, "the Commander called me this morning to show me the documentation confirming it."

Zoe said nothing, wondering by what means such a miracle could have occurred.

Bridgman continued, "So you're free to go. Well, not really free to go. I mean you're not facing kidnapping charges anymore, but you'll still be confined to Serenity until Captain Reynolds' case is decided."

Zoe's heart began to beat hard against her ribcage. "Does that mean I can have Anya back?" she asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

Bridgman's smile was wide and genuine. "The paperwork's being processed now. She should be back in your arms by noon."

Zoe drew a ragged breath, as close to a blatant emotional display as she had ever been. "Thank you, Mr. Bridgman," she said with as much dignity as she could muster. "You are a good man."

XXXXXXXXXX

Simon stared at the results of his tests, his mind full of conflicting emotions. "What's the matter, sweetie?" Kaylee asked, somewhat alarmed by his facial expression. "Am I gonna be okay?"

Simon nodded, opening his dry mouth to speak. "You're going to be just fine, Kaylee," he answered. "You're pregnant."

Kaylee's hands flew to her mouth in surprise. "You sure?" she asked in amazement, wondering how she could have missed the signs.

"Positive," Simon said, reaching to draw her into an embrace. "We're going to be parents in about eight months."

Kaylee clutched him to her chest tightly, thrilled by the prospect. "Oh, Simon, ain't it wonderful?" she asked breathlessly. "A little 'un on the way, just like we wanted."

"Yes," he said, mustering up the appropriate enthusiasm. "It's wonderful." He closed his eyes, trying to block out the image of the bands around both their ankles. Into what kind of life would their baby be born? he thought nervously.

XXXXXXXXXX

Serenity's crew sat around the galley table, genuinely thankful to be together again with the glaring exception of their Captain. Zoe and Anya sat side by side, their legs lightly touching as if to assure themselves of each other's presence. Adam sat in River's lap, busily pushing his food across his plate with his fingers.

Zoe turned to Inara, her dark eyes shining with warmth and gratitude. "I'd take it as a kindness if you'd convey my thanks to the counselor," she said quietly.

Inara nodded, pleased that she had been able to convince the kind woman to help her friends. "I'll be certain to pass it along," she replied. "The papers she sent should preclude any possibility of this happening again."

Zoe nodded her head. "Next time we're able, I intend on getting' a strong box to keep 'em safe, just in case."

Simon cleared his throat nervously, causing a slight smile to grace River's features. 'Well, ummm, Kaylee and I have an announcement to make. It would seem Serenity will have a new little crew member in about eight months."

Pandemonium broke out as everyone began talking at once, congratulating the pair. Adam and Anya were beside themselves with delight, Anya because she'd have another baby to love, and Adam, because he wouldn't have to be the littlest one anymore. Jayne slapped Simon soundly on the back, nearly knocking the smaller man out of his chair, while Inara rushed to hug Kaylee happily. Only Zoe and River remained seated, sharing a glance that spoke volumes without a sound.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, my little blondie was okay?" Mal asked, breathing a genuine sigh of relief.

"Shaken up a bit. Other than that, just fine. Glad to be home," Bridgman confirmed.

Mal's eyes shone with warm intensity. "I'm obliged to you for seeing to my people," he said simply.

"I was glad I could help, Captain. They seem like nice people."

"Best crew flyin'," Mal said proudly.

"Yes, well, that brings us to our next hurdle," Bridgman said. "If we can't get your sentence overturned, I'm afraid they won't be flying anywhere."

"You got a plan?" Mal asked.

"Actually, I do," Bridgman said, pleased at Mal's surprised look. "I've been unable to get a transcript of your trial."

"That's cuz there wasn't one," Mal said. "Went straight from arrest to maximum security torture chamber without a stop in between."

Bridgman winced at the mental image. "And therein lies our possibility. Once the news about the atrocities committed at that prison surfaced on the cortex, citizen's rights groups all over the 'verse were up in arms. Almost caused a revolution."

"Yes, I seem to recall that," Mal said dryly, wondering what the man would think if he knew about Mal's involvement in that as well. "So?"

"So," Bridgman said, "in an effort to show their concern for the opinions of the general population…" 

"You mean, in an effort to appear concerned," Mal broke in.

"Whatever," Bridgman said, gesturing in dismissal. "Regardless of the motive, Parliament amended Alliance policy on the disposition of terrorists, enacting legislation that requires a public trial for anyone charged with an act of terrorism."

"I see," Mal said, mulling the thought over. "And this law is retroactive?"

"Strictly speaking, no," Bridgman said. "But I think a judge might lean toward giving you the chance of a public trial rather than simply send you back to prison without having heard any evidence to support your sentence."

"And that helps me how?"

"It puts the burden of proof on the state," Bridgman said. "If the judge should rule that you are entitled to a trial, the state will have to produce evidence to support their charges. Captain," he said, looking intently at his client. "Will they be able to produce such evidence?"

Mal frowned. "I ain't rightly sure," he said finally.

"Whether or not they can," Bridgman said, "I still believe it's your best shot at freedom, for you and for your crew."

Mal nodded. "Then let's do it," he said.

XXXXXXXXXX

Zoe kissed Anya's forehead softly, watching the child's eyelids flutter closed. "That was a good story, Mama," she mumbled sleepily. "Almost as good as the first one."

"It was always one of my favorites when I was a little one like you," Zoe said, running her fingertips lovingly down Anya's cheek. "Anya, I want you to know how proud I am of the way you looked after Adam in that Fed station and then later at the Home."

Anya yawned. "Had to," she said. "He's family, and you don't leave family behind."

"That's true enough," Zoe said. "But all the same, it was mighty brave of you. I love you, baby."

"Love you too, Mama," Anya said, snuggling into her covers and slipping into a deep sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	7. Chapter 7

**The Family Way**

**Part VII—The Judge**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.

Rating: PG

Summary: Kaylee faints again, and Mal meets the judge.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Why exactly does the judge want to see me before he decides?" Mal asked, uneasy with the thought.

Tom Bridgman sighed. "I think he just wants to make sure that you understand all the ramifications of either of his choices. And…"

"And what?" Mal asked.

"And, I think he's curious to see what you're really like. After all, in certain circles you're practically a legend."

Mal raised a sardonic eyebrow. "Can't conjure what circles those would be," he said with a smile. "I'm just a man tryin' to look after his family, make a livin' as best I can."

"Right," Bridgman said sarcastically. "You really expect folks to believe that?"

"Sure," Mal said, shrugging his shoulders. "That's all I'm aimin' at."

"Well, regardless of your aim, it would appear that's not all you've hit," Bridgman said, smiling.

"Guess not," Mal said dryly. "Think I could maybe shower and shave before I meet this man? Bein' as how he's expecting a legend and all?"

"I'll see what I can do," Bridgman said kindly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kaylee awoke on the floor of the engine room with Simon and Zoe on their haunches on either side of her. "What happened?" she asked, her head feeling as if it were stuffed with cotton.

"You fainted again, ai ren," Simon said gently, helping her into a sitting position.

"I ain't never fainted before two days ago," Kaylee said, wincing as Simon examined the lump forming on her forehead. "Why am I doing it now?"

Simon and Zoe eased her to her feet, where she wavered groggily. "Let's just get back to the infirmary, and we'll see what we can find out," Simon said soothingly. "It's probably nothing to worry about."

Zoe shot him a dubious look behind Kaylee's back, but said nothing. Kaylee asked, "But the baby's okay, right?"

"I'm sure our baby's fine," Simon said reassuringly.

Once in the infirmary, Kaylee eased up onto the bed, trying to relieve the dizzy spin of the room by closing her eyes and breathing deeply. Zoe, heedful of the Tams' need for privacy, slipped out of the room quietly, while Simon began his tests.

"Simon," Kaylee said weakly. "I think I'm gonna throw up."

Quickly putting a basin under her chin, Simon held her steady as she vomited. When her stomach contents were purged, he cleaned her face gently with a cool cloth. "I thought women were further along before the morning sickness starts," Kaylee said worriedly, lying back down.

"Every woman is different," Simon replied. "But it is a little early. I don't think that's why you're so nauseous. I just need to check a couple of things to confirm my theory."

"All right, sweetie," Kaylee said, content to stay still.

Simon worked silently for several minutes, finally getting the results he'd been expecting. "Ai ren, what were you doing right before you passed out?" he asked.

"I was just fiddling with the capacitor," she said. "Then I stood up, and the next thing I know you and Zoe were lookin' down at me."

"And when you work on the capacitor, are you bent over at a sharp angle?"

"Sure," Kaylee said. "It ain't the easiest part of Serenity to get to."

"Well then, I think we've found the problem," Simon said, relief in his voice. "Several things are coming together at once to make you feel like this. First off, in early pregnancy, your blood vessels naturally relax and dilate because of the influence of progesterone, a hormone that's more abundant when a woman is newly pregnant. The relaxation and dilation of the vessels lowers your blood pressure, which makes you a little woozy if it happens fast enough. Suddenly standing after bending can lower it even further. And you're also a little anemic, which is not out of the ordinary considering our normal diet on Serenity."

"So, I need to stop bending over and start eating better?" Kaylee asked, paring his words down considerably.

"Essentially, yes," Simon said. "We need to add prenatal vitamins to your diet. And maybe an additional iron supplement. As for the bending over part, if you have to do it, just be sure to stand up very slowly. In a few weeks, this should pass entirely, as your body adjusts to the pregnancy. Until then, you'll just have to be a little more careful."

"But what about losing lunch every day?" Kaylee asked.

"The nausea is a side effect of the dizziness," Simon answered.

"So I'll be done with that in a few weeks too?" Kaylee asked hopefully.

"Well…" Simon hesitated. "About the time we get this under control, it will be the normal time for morning sickness to manifest itself." Seeing Kaylee's smile falter, he kissed her cheek. "Sorry, ai ren."

Kaylee's smile returned. "Long's there's a baby at the end of it all, I think I can manage," she said brightly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Judge Zeng studied the man before him curiously. Somehow he had expected Malcolm Reynolds to look older, more battleworn than he did. Admittedly, he did look exhausted, but he still held himself with a certain proud bearing despite the chains at his wrists and ankles.

Motioning impatiently to the guard accompanying the prisoner and his advocate, Zeng said, "Remove the cuffs. I'm quite certain Mr. Reynolds will behave in my chambers. Won't you, Mr. Reynolds?"

"I will," Mal said blandly, still sizing up the judge. Rubbing his arms gratefully where the heavy shackles had been, he added, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Zeng said pleasantly. "I assume Mr. Bridgman has described to you the nature of the choice I face."

"He has," Mal confirmed.

"A strict interpretation of the law would seem to indicate that I should simply return you to a maximum security facility to serve out the remainder of your life. And then, of course, charge your crew as accessories to your criminal activities." He paused, letting his words sink in.

"I see no need to have my crew punished," Mal said, the first spark of emotion revealed to Zeng's inquisitive stare.

Zeng thought it rather telling that Reynolds did not plead for his own release. "Of course," he continued, "I am allowed a certain leeway, as the law has recently changed regarding the disposition of terrorists." Observing Reynolds' carefully neutral expression, he said, "As I understand it, a great number of atrocities occurred in the Salisbury prison, if the news reports are to be believed. Were you personally mistreated there?"

"Yes," Mal answered, the skin around his eyes tightening at the memory.

"Tortured, even?" the judge prompted, leaning forward in his chair.

Mal shifted slightly in his seat. "Yes," he answered hollowly, meeting the man's eyes steadily.

"And yet I didn't see your face plastered all over the cortex, giving a testimonial to the abuse like so many of your fellow prisoners," Judge Zeng said, relaxing back into his seat.

"I'm not real big on testimonials," Mal said dryly. "Nor publicity, if I can help it."

"Yet you realize that should I decide in favor of a trial, it will be a very public affair," Zeng said.

Mal nodded. "S'pose that's true enough. But if my only other option is going straight to a penal colony for the rest of my life and having my crew subjected to trials of their own, I'd ask you to consider choosing a public trial."

"There is one other consideration, Mr. Reynolds. If the state should prove its case and you are convicted, there is the very real possibility that they will ask for the death penalty. Are you prepared to take that risk?"

Mal drew in a deep breath. "Normally, that wouldn't be my first choice, but being as how things are as they are, I'd have to say 'yes'."

The judge studied Mal for several minutes, tapping his steepled fingers against his lips, while Mal and Bridgman sat motionless, awaiting his next words. Finally, he seemed to come to a decision. "You seem a decent man, Mr. Reynolds, not quite the raving fanatic you've been painted to be. I'd be interested to see how accurate my assessment turns out to be, once I have the facts of the case in front of me. So, I will order that a trial commence in thirty days' time." Turning to Bridgman, he asked, 'Will that give you sufficient time to marshal a defense for your client?"

"I'm not sure, Your Honor," Bridgman said honestly. "I have no idea what evidence, if any, the state could produce."

"I'll see to it that your office is given everything it is entitled to receive as part of the discovery process, but I see no reason to drag these proceedings on any longer than necessary. As it is, your client and his crew will already be spending another month incarcerated before any decision is made."

"Speaking of that, Your Honor," Bridgman said, leaning forward earnestly, "I'd like to request that Captain Reynolds be allowed to spend the time before his trial with his family aboard his ship. As the ship is landlocked and he could be fitted with an electronic restraint like the rest of his crew, I believe it would be a humane decision, considering the fact that his guilt has not been even vaguely established and his treatment in the Salisbury facility was beyond cruel and unusual punishment."

Judge Zeng's eyes narrowed as he scowled at Bridgman. "Don't presume upon my magnanimous nature. If Mr. Reynolds is indeed guilty of the charges against him, I have no interest in making his life any more pleasant than can be provided in a prison cell. Dong ma?"

Bridgman swallowed nervously, aware he was walking a very thin line. "I understand, Your Honor. I only ask for this small concession because I've spent a great deal of time with Captain Reynolds, and I've come to respect the way he is handling what can only be a very painful situation for him. He strikes me as a man of his word, and I feel compelled to do everything within my power to alleviate his distress."

The judge smiled at Bridgman's enthusiasm. Turning to Mal, he said soberly, "Well, Mr. Reynolds, you've heard Mr. Bridgman's glowing opinion of your character. Are you a man of your word?"

"I am," Mal said, outwardly calm, though his heart was beginning to stir with an impossible hope.

"Do I have your word, then, that should I agree to this extravagant concession, you will not try to trespass on my mercy and flee from the jurisdiction of this court?"

"You have my word," Mal agreed.

The judge stared into his intensely blue eyes for an agonizing moment. "Very well then. I will so order it." Still locking eyes with Mal, he continued, "I would warn you, Mr. Reynolds, if you should in any way try to thwart the law in this matter, I will not hesitate to reverse my decision entirely and remand you to a maximum security penal colony until such time as you rot. And I will make it my aim to see that your crew is also imprisoned. Dong ma?"

"Yes sir, Your Honor. I understand," Mal said. "And I thank you for the concession."

"You're welcome," the judge replied in a kinder tone. Motioning to the waiting guard, he said, "Fit Mr. Reynolds with an ankle band and escort him to his ship. Post additional guards around its perimeter."

"Yes sir," the guard said, hauling Mal up from his seat.

"I'll look forward to seeing you in a month's time, Mr. Reynolds," Judge Zeng called after Mal's retreating form.

XXXXXXXXXX

River gently applied ointment to her husband's chafed wrists, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Come on now, darlin'," Mal said. "Now's not the time for cryin'." Pulling one arm from her grasp, he brushed her tears way with the pad of his thumb, grateful beyond measure for the chance to simply touch her again.

"I know," River said shakily. "It's just that I thought…" 

"Shhh," Mal said, pulling her into his arms. "I thought so too. Didn't expect to find compassion in an Alliance judge, but I did, I reckon," he said, a hint of wonder in his tone. "And I'm thinkin' that maybe it'll be a fine thing that he's the one who'll be hearing the case. Don't think he'll be able to let me off, but leastways I imagine he'll be fair as he can in the circumstances. Strikes me that way, anyway."

River laid her head on Mal's shoulder. "What kind of evidence do you suppose they have?"

"Ain't rightly sure," Mal answered, frowning. "They didn't exactly explain all the ins and outs of the thing when I was on Salisbury. But Senator Holmes knew it was me at the labs, without a doubt."

They sat quietly for several minutes, considering all the possibilities. Finally, Mal spoke, "Regardless of how it all turns out, bao bei, I'm thinkin' at least we've got thirty days together. And I don't want to waste another minute on thinkin' about things we can't affect, one way or another." He cupped her cheek tenderly in his hand, and leaned forward to capture her lips in a slow, sensuous kiss.

"Missed you," River whispered when they paused for breath. "Love you."

Filled to bursting with the beauty of her, Mal answered, "Love you too, River."

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	8. Chapter 8

**The Family Way**

**Part VIII—Road to Freedom**

Author: justslummin

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.

Rating: PG

Summary: Conclusion. As the thirty-day wait progresses, Mal deals as best he can.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal fell back against the mattress, still panting lightly and skin prickling with the residual glow of the long night of passion he'd just enjoyed. River lay beside him, her own body humming with sensation. She turned suddenly sad eyes to look at him.

Feeling her gaze like a physical weight on his skin, Mal opened his eyes to look at her. "Well, now, that's not exactly how I want my woman to look after I make love to her," he said gently.

"Hoarding moments," River said accusingly.

"Shen me?" Mal asked, though he averted his eyes.

You're hoarding memories," River repeated. "Think you're going to lost it all. That memories will be all you're allowed to have."

"No, that ain't the way of it," Mal said, though they both knew it was useless for him to lie to a Reader. He punched his pillow and turned over onto his side, his back to River a signal that the conversation was over.

River molded her body against his back. Wrapping one arm around his midsection, she said nothing, allowing her physical presence to soothe his troubled heart. After a time, Mal took a deep breath and said in a ragged voice, "I've loved a few things in this 'verse, and 'cept for Zoe I've lost all of 'em, 'til you came onto my boat. You gave me somethin' I thought I'd lost, River. You gave me your love, your faith, your hope." His voice cracking with emotion, he added, "You've given me my son. You've made me a rich man, bao bei. Rich in the things that really matter. And I'm more grateful for it than I'll ever be able to say." He paused, taking a shuddering breath. "I ain't sure that I can take the loss of that. Ain't sure I can spend my life in a cell on some penal colony, knowin' that you're in a cell somewhere else just for being with me, knowin' that some stranger's raising our son. So yeah, I was hoarding memories, tryin' to set in my mind every moment I'm spendin' with you, every taste and smell, every sensation we share. If it's all I'm gonna get, I gotta make it last a lifetime."

As he finished speaking, he turned to face her, his eyes bright with unshed tears. "Problem with lovin' somebody is the chance of losing 'em," he whispered.

River looked at him solemnly, struggling to control her own emotions. She knew that Mal had come to the edge of his emotional resilience, torn apart at the thought of what he and his people faced, helpless to prevent the potential devastation. And she was frightened. Since she had crawled out of the cryo-box, screaming in terror in the cargo bay, she had instinctively known that this man would be her rock, her anchor in a sea of wildly raging dangers. But now he needed a rock to hold on to, and she was determined he'd have what he needed from her. Pushing aside her own fears and sorrow, she touched his face gently, concentrating all her mental strength on steadying him. Gazing deeply into his eyes, she lent him the power of her devotion and the strength of her resolve. "You'll never lose me, ai ren," she whispered. "I won't let go."

She leaned forward to kiss the wrinkle from his brow. Trailing soft kisses down his face and neck, she felt some of his tension melt under her ministrations, and more pleasurable emotions come to the fore. "Besides, I thought we weren't going to worry for the next thirty days," she whispered, nibbling at his earlobe and eliciting a small moan.

"Oh yeah, I forgot," Mal said, offering her a small smile as he rolled her over onto her back.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tom Bridgman sat at Serenity's table, sharing one of the many meals he'd taken with the crew in the past twenty days. He felt strangely drawn to the band of landlocked travelers, who seemed much more like a family than he would have imagined such a diverse group to be. And if they were a family, there was no doubt who their patriarch was.

Having cleaned his plate, Mal pushed it out of the way, leaning back to enjoy the company. Adam and Anya each claimed a knee, and Mal planted a kiss on the top of both heads, wrapping an arm around each child. Bridgman was struck, as always, by how everyone at the table seemed determined to make each meal last, as they laughed and talked as if they were not each facing potential jail terms.

And though they did not talk about their Captain's fate, Bridgman saw the depth of their concern in little things---the way the Companion's hand trailed along Mal's shoulders when she passed his chair on the way to the sink, or the way Kaylee insisted he have the last of the pie she'd made. Nor did it escape his notice that Zoe often caught Mal's eye, the two sharing a look like two halves of a whole, perfectly in sync. Even the doctor and the mercenary seemed determined to keep his spirits up, Jayne telling raucous jokes and Simon objecting, as if they were some sort of well-known and beloved comedy team.

But the thing that tore most at Bridgman's tender heart was the love he saw between Captain Reynolds and his wife. Very much in love with his own wife, Bridgman could not imagine the agony of being parted from her, the very prospect Mal was facing. Convinced more than ever to do everything within his power to secure his client's release, Bridgman stood to leave.

Setting the children onto the floor, Mal rose to walk him out, needing to speak with him alone for a moment. "You really don't have any idea as to why the judge wants to see us in the morning?" he asked quietly.

"None," Bridgman said. "He left a message at the office, deliberately vague, if you ask me. But regardless, he wants to see us first thing. I'll come for you at 8:00."

"I imagine I'll be right here," Mal said dryly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal sent River to their bunk early, asking for some time alone with Adam. He lay beside Adam on his little bed, reading the last of the story they'd been working on for several nights. Adam yawned widely, scrubbing his eyes with his fists. Mal closed the book and reached to turn off the lamp beside Adam's bed.

"Stay, Daddy?" Adam asked in the dim glow of the nightlight.

"For awhile," Mal agreed, pulling the cover over both of them.

Adam snuggled into his father's chest. "You're going to see the judge tomorrow?"

"Yes," Mal answered.

"He's nice," Adam said confidently.

Mal looked at his son seriously. "How do you know that?"

Adam frowned, thinking about the question. After a moment, he said, "I don't know. But he is."

Mal chuckled. "Well, that's good to know." He paused, then added, "Know anything else?"

"Mmm hmm," Adam said sleepily.

"What's that?" Mal asked, a little anxious about the answer.

"Know I love you," Adam said, smiling even as his eyelids fluttered shut.

"Love you too, Adam," Mal replied, placing a gentle kiss on the child's forehead.

XXXXXXXXXX

Judge Zeng's face was expressionless as Mal was ushered into his chambers. "Good morning, gentlemen," he said, motioning for Mal and Tom to sit down.

"Good morning, Your Honor," Tom replied. As he was about to inquire as to the purpose of the meeting, the judge's door opened again, and a very grim looking man walked in. Mal did not need River's abilities to know that this man was his enemy.

"Mr. Bridgman, I believe you know Mr. Atwater. He will be representing the state in this trial."

Bridgman rose graciously to extend his hand. "I believe we met awhile back, during the Montique case," he said pleasantly.

"Yes," Atwater replied flatly. "That's correct."

Once the tow men were seated, Judge Zeng continued. "I've called this meeting because Mr. Atwater has apprised me of certain circumstances that affect his ability to proceed to trial. Mr. Atwater, if you please," he invited.

Ignoring Mal totally, Atwater turned his attention to Bridgman. "Are you aware, Mr. Bridgman, of any of the process that led to Mr. Reynolds' first arrest?"

"Beyond the fact that the warrant was issued by a Parliament member personally, no."

Atwater nodded impatiently. "Permit me to enlighten you," he said snidely. "The warrant was issued by Senator Ezekiel Holmes."

"The same Senator Holmes who was murdered in the Salisbury prison riots?" Bridgman asked.

"The very same," Atwater replied. "However, strangely enough," he stopped to stare accusingly at Mal. "I have been unable as yet to find a copy of the warrant anywhere."

Bridgman took umbrage at the implication of the rude stare. "I think it's safe to say that my client, having been incarcerated since this process began, had nothing to do with the disappearance of the warrant."

Continuing as if he had not heard, Atwater said, "Senator Holmes' office has been unable to produce any paperwork pertaining to Mr. Reynolds so far, but they are still searching their records."

Judge Zeng interrupted. "What about the person or persons who turned Mr. Reynolds in? Perhaps they have at least a copy of the warrant, though I suppose they would not have all the supporting documentation you would need."

"Reynolds was arrested by a Lt. Womack of the Silverhold Colonies. As luck would have it," Atwater looked suspiciously at Mal again. "Lt. Womack was killed in a bar in Santo under rather mysterious circumstances soon after the arrest."

Mal hid his surprise, as Bridgman said, "It would seem to me then, Mr. Atwater, that you are at a loss as to evidence that would support a public trial."

"I have every belief that the evidence will surface," Atwater said coldly. "Due to the strange circumstances, I have requested of Judge Zeng an extension of the deadline to produce evidence."

Judge Zeng looked intently at all three men. "That's why I called this informal meeting," he said. "I wished to hear the opinions of everyone involved. Mr. Atwater has gone to great pains to convince me of the validity of his request. What do you have to say, Mr. Bridgman?"

"I find it completely unconscionable that such a thing would even be under consideration. Not only has the state imprisoned this man once without due process, but he's been subjected to the cruelest of abuses while an inmate at a government facility. Add to that the fact that he and his entire crew have been detained here for the past twenty-three days, and you can see what a travesty of justice it would be to hold him any longer, while the State tries to cobble together what is apparently phantom evidence. I strongly object, Your Honor."

Judge Zeng nodded. "So noted." Turning his attention to Mal, he asked, "Mr. Reynolds, what do you say about all of this?"

Mal thought carefully, fully aware that his next words might mean freedom or a lifetime of incarceration for his crew. "Truth to tell, Your Honor, the Alliance has been trying to kill me and mine since the war, so I suppose it's nothing new. But since I've been in custody here, I've seen that there are still people interested in justice, people who aren't hellbent for a man's blood." He looked steadily at Zeng. "So, I'm gonna have to trust that your decision will be the right one. I conjure that's all a man can hope for."

The sincerity of his words hung in the air for several minutes, as Zeng sat contemplating his decision. Finally, clearing his throat, he said, "Mr. Atwater, according to my reckoning, you still have seven days to find your evidence. I'd suggest you go about it as quickly as possible. There will be no extension."

"But, Your Honor," Atwater began.

Zeng held his hand up to forestall further discussion. "That is all."

XXXXXXXXXX

Bridgman walked with Mal back to Serenity. "I suppose we dodged a bullet back there," he said.

"Guess so," Mal answered soberly. "So, if he doesn't find what he's looking for in the next seven days…"

"You'll be free to go," Bridgman confirmed.

They walked silently until they reached the ship. Shaking Bridgman's hand at the door as the guard re-keyed his ankle band, Mal said, "Seven days is a gorram long time, I'm thinkin'."

"Maybe not," Bridgman said, clasping Mal's hand in both of his own.

XXXXXXXXXX

As time often does in stressful situations, it appeared to Mal that the days passed at an uneven pace. The moments he spent with his family sped by all too quickly, while his moments alone dragged out in seemingly endless loops of anxiety. Bridgman checked in every day, giving what information he could about the status of Atwater's investigation, until finally the day arrived to convene once again in Judge Zeng's chambers.

Pulse pounding in his ears, Mal sat beside his advocate, facing Judge Zeng. Atwater sat on Bridgman's other side, holding a sheaf of papers in his hand which looked rather ominous to Mal. After greeting the three men, Zeng turned to Atwater. "Well, Mr. Atwater, it would seem that you have reached the deadline for discovery. Do you have something to present?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Atwater said, laying the stack of papers on Zeng's desk.

"And these are…?" Zeng prompted.

"These are signed affidavits from former staff members of Senator Holmes' office detailing a burglary that occurred recently. The staff has every reason to believe that the original warrant and supporting documentation were stolen at that time. There are also sworn statements from several staffers who had seen these same documents as recently as two months ago."

"Your Honor," Bridgman said, standing up. "I must object. Surely the court will not accept such alleged 'evidence'. The freedom of several people is at stake here, and the life of one man. Are we to base such a weighty decision on the vague recollections and suppositions of the Senator's former staff?"

"The trial's not started yet, Mr. Bridgman. Sit down," the judge said calmly. Reaching for the first paper on the stack, he pulled reading glasses from his desk and began to read. Silence settled on the room as he read, the only sound the faint rustle of papers as he worked his way through the stack. Mal stared ahead numbly, unwilling to watch the expression on Zeng's face as the stack got lower and lower.

Two hours later, the judge finished the last page and took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. "Mr. Atwater, while these statements make for interesting reading, I find nothing in them that would compel a jury to convict this man. So, unless you have something else to substantiate these reports, I am going to release Mr. Reynolds and his crew with my sincerest apologies for wasting their time."

Atwater flushed bright red, but said, "I have nothing further at this time."

Zeng turned his attention to Mal. "Mr. Reynolds, you are free to go. You understand, however, that should Mr. Atwater find his elusive evidence, there will be a new warrant issued for your arrest."

"Yes, Your Honor, I understand," Mal answered, hoping the judge could hear the respect and gratitude in his voice.

Judge Zeng smiled, having heard both. "It is my sincere hope that I never see you again, Mr. Reynolds," he said. Motioning to the guards, he said, "Release Mr. Reynolds at once."

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal sat on Serenity's bridge, the hum of the engine like a balm to his soul. Three hours out of Boros and heading for parts unknown, he gazed at the stars and thought about how very much his life had changed. The hard, embittered man who had walked out of Serenity Valley with no one but Zoe had accumulated a family of people who cared for him as much as he cared for them. And though he had known that fact for awhile, he could see now that he had also developed other relationships with people beyond his ship. People like Tom Bridgman, who had fought so tirelessly in his behalf, and Peter, who had originally sent the man to help him.

Thinking of Peter, Mal smiled. No sooner than Serenity had broken atmo had he received a private wave from the young man, congratulating him on his release. Offering his sincere thanks for Peter's help, Mal had been further indebted by Peter's assertion that the evidence Senator Holmes had possessed would never be found.

"And you know this how, exactly?' Mal had asked.

Peter's face had broken out in that impish grin that reminded Mal of River. "Let's just say I've been honing my lock smithing skills, and my wife is fond of matches," he'd said.

Mal chuckled. "Then I'd take it as a kindness if you'd thank her as well," he'd said.

"Will do, Captain. Happy flying to you," Peter had said, cutting the transmission.

Still smiling at the memory, Mal heard River's quiet steps behind him. Resting her hand on his shoulder, River placed a soft kiss on his cheek. Mal covered her hand with his own. "It's a beautiful sight, isn't it, darlin'?" he said, looking back out into the Black.

"That it is," she said simply, as Serenity took them forward into their future.

XXXXXXXXXX

Author's Note: So ends another tale of Serenity's crew. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always, I thank you for reading, and especially appreciate those steadfast souls who've taken the extra moment to leave feedback. If writing is my bread, your kind words have been the butter. Many thanks!


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